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****
Allen smiled politely at the security guard at the front desk and walked past, heading toward two familiar faces.
"Sir, wait! You can't-" he was still talking and attempted to grab Allen but he was too quick.
S.T.A.R. Labs employees Cisco Ramon and Caitlin Snow, were deep in conversation as they strolled through the hallway.
"Excuse me."
He stepped directly into their path, still wearing that calm and almost too-friendly smile.
The two scientists halted, blinking at him in confusion.
Cisco was the first to speak.
"Uh... is there a problem?" he asked, giving Allen a cautious once-over.
"I want you to help me make something," Allen said simply.
"What?" Cisco raised an eyebrow, his tone skeptical.
Then he let out a chuckle, assuming this was some kind of joke.
"Sorry, man, I don't even know you."
"It doesn't matter. That's not important." Allen's voice didn't waver.
"I need a portable sonic device. Preferably necklace-shaped, but that's up to you. I don't have the materials, and I can't offer any compensation. You'll need to figure it out yourself. Oh, and I'd like it finished in under an hour."
He smiled wider, as if he had just made a completely reasonable request.
Cisco's expression shifted immediately.
This guy was serious?
'What's wrong with him?'
He frowned, taking a half step back.
'Did this guy escape from Arkham Asylum or something?'
"Yeah, I'm not doing anything for you," Cisco replied, keeping his voice firm. "Please step aside."
Allen's expression didn't change.
"You sure?"
"Step aside," Cisco repeated, sharper this time.
"Okay."
Allen gave a soft sigh of disappointment and slowly raised his hand.
Instantly, the air crackled.
Sparks flared to life between his fingers, and a visible current of blue electricity began to dance in his palm like a contained storm.
The flickering glow illuminated both Cisco and Caitlin's stunned faces.
Allen's tone remained almost cheerful.
"How about now, can it be done?"
Cisco's mouth dropped open slightly, staring at the electric current as realization struck him.
'He's a Metahuman…'
But instead of backing away in fear, Cisco's eyes lit up with curiosity and amazement.
"How did you do that?" he asked, already leaning closer.
"Can you generate it at will? What's your maximum voltage output? Doesn't it shock your own nerves? Is there a resistance threshold?"
Before he could get too close, Allen casually flicked his finger.
A blue-white bolt arced out, not toward Cisco, but toward the armed security guard behind them.
CRACK!
The bolt struck the guard with a vicious snap.
The man screamed, convulsed violently, and then collapsed to the floor, unconscious and twitching.
"Ah!"
Cisco recoiled instinctively, stepping in front of Caitlin.
His face went pale.
"What... what do you want? Don't do anything crazy or I- we'll call the police!" he stammered, trying to sound brave but clearly shaken.
Allen looked at Caitlin, who was trembling as she fumbled in her bag for her phone.
His smile faded into a weary sigh.
"I didn't want to make this intense," he said, voice still eerily calm.
"I just need the device built."
A sudden jolt of electricity burst from his hand again.
The shock hit both of them.
"Ahh!"
Caitlin screamed and dropped her phone as her body stiffened.
Cisco was caught in the edge of the current, stumbling backward, legs giving out under him.
He collapsed onto the floor with a grunt.
The electricity fizzled out.
Caitlin had slumped unconscious against the rooftop access door, her body still twitching slightly.
Cisco was left panting, hands shaking as he sat stunned and disoriented.
Allen walked forward, gently lifted Caitlin's limp body, and turned away without another word.
"You have an hour. I want that sonic device done," he said flatly.
"Caitlin!"
Cisco groaned and tried to sit up.
As he reached for his phone, another hand grabbed his shoulder, it was firm but not hostile.
He looked up and gasped.
"Professor Wells!"
Harrison Wells nodded grimly; his expression unreadable.
"I saw everything," he said.
"What happened? Why did he approach you?"
"I don't know!" Cisco answered quickly, the words tumbling out.
"He just walked up and said he needed a sonic device. No materials, no payment, and he gave me an hour! Then he shot electricity at the guard and took Caitlin!"
'Electric shock lunatic... great,' Cisco thought bitterly.
His mind had already started cataloging the metahuman under a nickname, as usual.
Wells's jaw tightened, but he nodded.
"If that's all he wants, Caitlin should be fine, for now. Don't call the police yet."
Cisco hesitated.
"What?"
"You go build the device," Wells said firmly, gripping Cisco's shoulder.
"I'll locate them. She'll be okay."
"...Right," Cisco muttered, still shaken but nodding. He trusted the professor.
"I'm on it."
He ran back inside, heading to the lab as fast as his trembling legs would allow.
As he began preparing components for the device, Wells turned away, his expression darkening as he silently worked to trace Caitlin's location.
****
Meanwhile...
On the rooftop of a nearby residential building, just a few blocks from S.T.A.R. Labs, Caitlin stirred.
Her head throbbed as she blinked back into consciousness, the harsh sunlight stabbing into her eyes.
The moment her vision cleared, she found herself staring straight into Allen's face, mere inches from hers.
"Ah!" she gasped and jerked backward, crawling frantically away.
Allen didn't chase her.
He simply crouched there, watching her with an apologetic look.
"I may have gained a new power recently," he said, almost sheepishly.
"And I guess... I got a little too into the novelty of it."
Caitlin didn't respond, just kept scooting back, terrified.
"I've been kind of obsessed with electric-type powers lately," Allen went on. "So... yeah. Sorry for knocking you out."
But it didn't seem like she was listening.
"You, don't come any closer! Don't come near me!" Caitlin shouted, her hands flailing in front of her like a weak shield.
"I'm not coming over. I'm just-"
"Don't come near me! Stay back!"
Allen stopped mid-sentence.
His smile twitched, replaced by a cold stillness.
He sighed.
A spark crackled in his hand, brighter this time, and his gaze turned razor-sharp.
"Shut up," he said softly.
"Or I'll electrocute you again."
Caitlin froze.
Her eyes widened, her breathing shallow.
She clamped her mouth shut.
"Don't come near me, don't come near me," Allen repeated in a mocking tone.
"Tell me, did I even move? Huh? Did I take a single step?"
He stood up, exhaling hard through his nose.
"What's wrong with you people? Are you all sick? Or just addicted to fear? I try being nice, and you don't listen. But the second I threaten someone..." He shook his head bitterly. "Suddenly everyone cooperates. Is that how it works now?"
Caitlin didn't move, too terrified to breathe.
Allen turned away from her, pacing toward the edge of the rooftop.
Sparks trailed from his fingers, flickering and vanishing like embers in the wind.